With the victory, the Raiders avoided a losing streak of historical significance. While this season is clearly going nowhere for the Silver and Black, the win could signify a turning point for the moribund franchise, as it showcased its young talent on both sides of the ball.
"After this game people were going to laugh at us or respect us,” said safety Charles Woodson, via Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle.
No one was laughing when running back Latavius Murray got the Raiders off to a fast start with two touchdown runs—one for 90 yards—before leaving the game in the second quarter with a concussion. Murray finished with 112 yards on four carries but helped the Raiders build a 14-0 lead. Assuming Murray can get healthy, the Raiders would be foolish not to make him the starter for the final five games to see if he can be the running back of the future.
Oakland’s young talent on defense kept the Chiefs in check for most of the game. Linebacker Sio Moore finished with 12 tackles and had a sack, linebacker Khalil Mack terrorized left tackle Eric Fisher all night and cornerback D.J. Hayden locked down his side of the field.
Then there was rookie quarterback Derek Carr, who orchestrated a game-winning drive when all the momentum had swung the way of the Chiefs. Down, 20-17, in the fourth quarter, the Raiders marched 80 yards on 17 plays for the go-ahead score—a nine-yard touchdown pass from Carr to wide receiver James Jones.
Carr converted a 4th-and-1 and 3rd-and-1 with quarterback sneaks on the game-winning drive and made several nice throws that allowed the Raiders to continue to run the ball. T...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Oakland Raiders
